Sterilizer



June 3, 1969 Filed Feb. 25. 1965 Sheet 2 of 4 64 A rssc |55A BIA 50 297A I75 BIA 132A INVENTORS KEITH CLARK AND JA MES s WATSON BY TTORNEY Sheet June 3, 1969 J. 5. WATSON E STERILIZER Filed Feb. 25, 1965 INVENTORS BY Z K. CLARK AND a s WATSON ATTORNEY z mmwmlfiou 2 025mm v 2 ZOEZHZ. 2 OZFEm Ill /lr| .L. v

June 3, 1969 J. 5. WATSON ET AL 3,447,892

STERILIZER Filed Feb. 25. 1965 Sheet 4 of 4 a. s. WATSON INVENTORS AT TORN EY K. CLARK/W0 United States Patent 3,447,892 STERILIZER James S. Watson and Keith Clark, Amarillo, Tex., as-

signors, by mesne assignments, to James S. Watson,

Amarillo, Tex.

Filed Feb. 25, 1965, Ser. No. 435,247 Int. Cl. A61b 1/00 US. Cl. 21--83 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Sterilizer comprising several separate and readily cleaned compartments for each of several instruments with means automatically providing sterilization of each instrument while other instruments locatable in the sterilizer are being used and while the instruments being sterilized are visible to the operator.

This invention relates to improvements in sterilizers and particularly to sterilizers adapted for use in barber and beauty shops.

More particularly this invention relates to a sterilizing container to receive barbers implements such as hair clippers, scissors, combs and razars and to maintain those implements in a sanitary yet visible and easily accessible condition and position.

In most of the states of the United States there are laws and ordinances requiring and/or regulating the sterilization of barbers and beauty specialists tools and instruments. Disregard of these regulations is frequent during rush hours when it is most important that these regulations be observed. A problem in the sterilization of barbers tools has been to sterilize them rapidly and effectively yet to do so without leaving on the surface of the tools a residue that is undesirable in contact with human skin. For instance, in the state of Texas, soaking of barbers implements in 5 percent carbolic acid solution for ten minutes between uses thereof is required. Many people are sensitive to that residue which remains on an instrument washed with carbolic acid. Further still, while many plastic instruments such as combs are amenable to being Washed in carbolic acid because there is no chemical action thereon, combs may mechanically hold a sutficient amount of carbolic acid solution as by capillary action as to create a severe reaction thereto in most people, and especially in those who may be sensitive thereto. In the normal rush hours a barber may treat ten people within one hour. Accordingly, an instrument may then fail to be sterilized between uses. The apparatus of this invention allows the sterilization of each instrument to be carried on while the other instruments are being used by providing that the instrument will be returned to the container of this invention and sterilized while the other instruments are being used.

Brushes have a very large liquid carrying capacity and are difiicult to clean and also may carry liquors which may cause undesirable reaction in the person treated by the barber. Metal tools such as clippers and scissors are corroded by carbolic acid solutions. Other chemicals conventionally used as water solutions such as Zephiran Chloride (trademark of Winthrop Laboratories, a division of Sterling Drug Company) which is used as a 17% aqueous solution and is a mixture of alkyl (C C and C benzyl ammonium chloride, also requires to be dried may create an allergic reaction and, if nothing else, due to evaporation is cold to the neck or skin of the person being treated. Further still, none of the methods of treating barbers tools by water solutions take care of the accumulations of hair from a customers hair and dirt from the shop floor on the electrical power cord for conventional barbers electrically powered clippers. This particular hair and dirt accumulations is unsightly and dirties the hands and clothes of the barber or beauty operator handling such tool and cords as well as creates an odor as well as a germ problem and even the health regulations do not take care of this source of dirtiness, lllSlghtlll'lCSS and bacterial growth in a barber or beauty s op.

One object of this invention is a provision of a sterilizer suitable to support and dispensing of the tools or instruments to be sterilized and the safe and ready removal from such compartments of such tools whereby such tools are also easily accessible and readily used.

Another object of this invention is a barber or beauty shop sterilizer having separate and readily cleaned compartments for each of several clippers of the electrical type and their cords.

Another object of this invention is to provide a sterilizer durable in construction and attractive in appearance and arranged to receive all the tools and instruments to be used by an operator so that the implements therein are continuously treated and continuously yet safely visible through the walls of the container so that the container with the implements therein continuously presents a neat and clean appearance.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims and from the accompanying drawings wherein the same numbers refer to the same parts throughout and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of apparatus according to this invention shown in its closed position and holding barbers implements (dimensions provided in Table III);

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view of the apparatus of FIGURE 1 in the closed position as shown in FIGURE 1 and viewed along the plane shown as 2A--2B in FIG- URE 3;

FIGURE 3 is a front view of the apparatus of FIG- URE 1 taken along the direction of the arrow 3A of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a wiring diagram showing the electrical connections of the apparatus of FIGURE 1 with all doors open;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along plane 2A-2B of FIGURE 3 showing the apparatus of FIGURE 1 in its open position;

FIGURE 6 shows zone 6A of FIGURE 2 during use of tool 35A; and,

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of a detail of the winding reel subassembly shown in zone 7A of FIGURE 3.

A preferred embodiment of this invention is the apparatus 10 shown in FIGURES 1 through 6. Referring particularly to FIGURES l, 2, 3 and 5, the apparatus 10 comprises a substantially completely closable container or enclosure 11 and, in its most comprehensive aspect, because of its co-operation therewith, its contents. This container 11 has a front wall frame 12, a left side wall 15, a right side wall 16, a rear wall 17, and a top 18, and a bottom or floor 19. The front wall frame is provided with movable doors 62, 64A, 64B, 64C and 66 which, altogether form a front wall 14. These walls and doors are nonporous and opaque to ultraviolet light (light of less than 3900 A. wave length) yet transparent to light in the visible range (3900 A. to 7600 A.). In the preferred embodiment, these elements are entirely opaque to radiation having a Wave length below 500 millimicrons (500 m 5,000 A.) but transparent to visible light with larger wave lengths.

The container 11 is formed with its front wall, left side wall, right side wall, rear wall, bottom and top closely joined to each other and forms a light tight enclosure. The container 11 has an interior upper shelf 21 and an interior bottom shelf 23. The shelves 21 and 23 are removable although firmly supported. Upper shelf frame L-shaped member 20 (in frame 12) and rear wall upper cleat 22 support shelf 21; lower L-shaped shelf frame 50 (in frame 12) and rear wall lower cleat 52 support shelf 23; frame 20 and 50 are firmly fixed to side walls and 16. Cleats 22 and 52 are firmly fixed to rear wall 17. The shelves 21 and 23 are removable although firmly supported on upper shelf frame and lower shelf frame 22 and the upper and lower rear wall cleats 50 and 52. The bottom shelf is adapted for holding clipper bars. The container also supports a plurality of ultraviolet, ozonegenerating lights, as 24, 25, 26, 27, 27, 28, 29 and 30 located as shown in FIGURES 1 to 5, each connected to an electric power source by conventional electrically conductive means and switches for each of implements A, 35B and 35C.

The front wall 14 of the container 11 has a rectangular horizontally elongated front upper opening 61 above frame member 20 and shelf 21, a rectangular horizontally elongated front middle opening 63 below shelf 21 and above frame member 50 and a rectangular horizontally elongated front lower opening 65 below shelf 23 (shown in FIGURE 5 A rectangular door 62 made of glass like the walls of container 11 (i.e., opaque to unltraviolet light yet transparent to light in the visible range) is pivotally attached to the top 18 of the container 11 to provide a pivot-ally movable closure for the front opening 61 and is movable thereover to close and open thereover. A series of similar doors 64A, 64B and 64C, each of equal width and height and thickness, and also made of glass like the walls of container 11 (i.e., opaque to ultraviolet light yet transparent to light in the visible range) such as Corning type 2408, the characteristics of which are given at Table I herebelow, are each slidably supported on slides therefor 54A and 55A on shelf 21, when in its open position as shown in FIGURE 5, and each is slideably movable thereover to the closed position over opening 63 as shown in FIGURE 2 for the door 64A. Slides as 54A, 54B, 54C and 55A, 55B and 55C are, as shown in FIG- URES 1 and 3, each firmly supported on the bottom of shelf 21 for doors 64A, 64B and 64C respectively.

The L-shaped frame members 20 and 50 are joined by removable flat opaque chrome plated rigid steel member 74A covering the space between members 64A and 64B and member 74B covering the space between members 64B and 64C, to make a complete optical enclosure. These members 74A and 74B are opaque to ultraviolet light. Members 64A, 64B and 64C generally define the lateral limit of compartments therebehind in container 11 for location of implements as 35A, 35B and 35C on tray 23.

A bottom door 66, also made of glass opaque to ultraviolet light yet transparent to light in the visible range as the walls of container 11 is pivotally attached to the frame 50 of container 11, to open and close over the lower opening 65.

These doors each completely cover the respective openings; the doors are actually about A inch larger than the openings which they cover, overlapping the opening by A inch on either side of vertical edges of 15, 16, 74A and 7 4B.

The container 11 :is adapted to hold on shelf 23 a plurality of conventional electric powered clippers such as 35A, 35B and 35C; each such clipper has an electric power cord as 33A, 33B and 33C (for 35A, 35B and 350 respectively) for connection of such clipper to a conventional source of AC. power 110.

The container 11 also comprises a plurality of wire rewinding reels, such as reel 31A (in FIGURE 1) and, 31B and 310 (shown in FIGURE 4 only), each for receiving and dispensing one clipper cord as 33A, 33B and 330, respectively, of conventional electric clipper bars as 35A, 35B and 35C respectively. A conventional frac- 4 tional horsepower self-starting reel driving electric motor 37 is firmly supported within the container 11 and, with the connections below described, automatically selectively drives any one or all of each of a plurality of reels 31A, 31B and 31C as below described.

Brushes 175, 176 and 177 are also firmly yet rotatably supported in container 11 and each, respectively, operatively contacts one cord as 33A, 33B and 33C.

A fractional horsepower self-starting electric motor 167 is supported on floor 19 and is connected in an electric circuit comprising switches and conductors'as shown in FIGURE 4, to upper and lower brush subassemblies 164 and 165. I

Each of the conventional clipper bars, as 35A, is located and held in its position on the shelf 23 in a locating bed therefore, as 40A, which bed, as 40A, is firmly fixed on the shelf 23. Each bed consists of a pair of low 4 inch high) parallel flanges as, 150A and 151A, arranged to fit loosely on either side of the clipper as 35A therebetween as shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and-3;

Each conventional electric clipper, as 35A, is connected by its cord, as 33A, to a reel, as 31A, in container 11 for that cord and each cord, as 33A, is wound on its reel as 31A as shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3. The reel 31A is driven (as are also reels 31B and 31C) by the motor 37 as shown in FIGURE 4. The shelf 23 is, in the preferred embodiment, made of a clear silica glass (as Corning type 7910, characteristics given in Table I herebelow) which glass is percent transparent to the ultraviolet light such as provided by the conventional ultraviolet lamps 24-30, and permits lamps as 25 located immediately below a shelf, as 23, to irradiate the bottom of the implement as 35A immediately thereabove as shown in FIGURES l, 2, 3 and 5. The shelf 21 is made of the same material as is shelf 23 and is s1milarly transparent and permits the lamps therebelow to irradiate the bottom of the implements thereabove such as a brush 41, a scissors 43 and a comb 45, also on top of shelf 21. The glass shelves 21 and 23 are readily removable from container for cleaning. Such cleaning is usually done at the end of a days business. The glass shelf 21 extends from the left side wall 15 to the right side wall 16 and from rear wall 17 to frame member 20; the shelf 23 extends from the left side wall 15 to the right side wall 16, and from the front wall member 50 to the rear wall 17 of the container 11.

A brush assembly 39 comprises, as shown in FIGURES 1, 3 and 4, an upper brush subassembly 164 and a lower brush subassembly 165. Subassembly 164 comprises a brush motor 167, an upper compartment brush 168 and an upper compartment tray 47, all of which are operatively and firmly supported in container 11. The brush 168 comprises a horizontally extending shaft 169 rotatably supported on mounting 170 on wall 15 and radially extending bristles as 171 firmly attached to the shaft 169. A belt 173 connects the motor 167 to the shaft of brush 168. Subassembly 165 comprises a horizontally extending series of brushes 175, 176 and 177 and its mountings 178 and 179 and a belt 180 connecting brush shaft 181 to the motor 167. Brushes 175, 176 and 177 each comprise a rotatable horizontally extending shaft as 181. The shaft 181 extends from the wall 15 to wall 16 and supports radially extending bristles above each of a series of trays 51A, 51B and 51C below the path tarveled by each of the cords 33A, 33B and 33C respectively. Removable open top trays 51A, 51B and 51C are provided on the floor 19 and are identically similar trays and located below, respectively, brushes 1'75, 176 and 177 to catch hair and other debris swept from the cords 33A, 33B and 330, by those brushes. Each tray (as 51A and 47) is also made of glass like the shelves of the container transparent to ultraviolet light whereby the contents thereof are readily sterilized. Each tray also is readily removed from container 11 through the adjacent front opening as 65 and 61 for trays 51A and 47, respectively.

Conventional push button electrical switches 71 and 72A, 72B, 72C and 73 (diagrammatically shown in FIG- URE 4) are each supported on and fixed to the frame members and 50 at the openings for the doors '62 and 64A, 64B and 64C and 66 respectively as shown in FIGURE 3. Each of these switches (71, 72A, 72B, 72C and 73) is normally open and is closed by the closing of the adjacent door (as 62, 64A, 64B, 64C and 66) and opened by its opening; one of each such doors contacts the plunger of one such switch, as shown diagrammatically in FIGURE 4.

The lights 24-30 are connected to an electrical power source 110 by wires extending from that power source through conventional electric wires as 111 and 112. The wire 112 is connected to series-connected switches 71, 72A, 72B and 72C and 73 whereby the ultraviolet lights are powered only when all the ultraviolet-opaque doors of container 11 are closed.

A fractional horsepower self-starting electrical rewind reel motor 37 is supported on and firmly attached to floor 19 and is operatively connected in series, as by the circuit shown in FIGURE 4, to the normally closed push button switch means 81A, 81B and 81C in parallel array and the conventional source of electric power 110. Normally closed switch means 81A, 81B and 81C are located adjacent openings 63 in wall 14; the plungers thereof are contacted and compressed by the bottom of doors 64A, 64B and 64C, respectively, when such doors are in their closed position; such switches are, accordingly, open when doors 64A, 64B and 64C respectively are closed; as the movable plungers of such switches are contactedand compressed by such doors when closed, those switches are closed on opening of those doors, as in FIG. 4. Switches 81A, 81B, 810,83, 83A, 83B, and 83C, 71, 72A, 72B, 72Cand 73 are all conventional onner end on a vertical pivot axle 138A which runs through the arm 128A and is firmly fixed to the floor of the container 11. The clutch plate 126A is axially movable along splines 36A on the shaft 38; the plate 126A thus is movable for engagement with and disengagement from the reel end plate 125A. A spring 127A urges the clutch plate arm to the plate 125A and plate 126A held thereby into driving attachment and contact with the plate 125A. A solenoid 129A tends to move the arm 128A and plate 126A out of contact with the plate 125A when actuated. The solenoid 129A is actuated by power source 110 through switch 133A. A switch 133A is firmly attached to floor 19 for cord 33A. Switch 133A comprises a pair of contact arms 131A and 132A which are each supported /2 inch from each other on floor 19 and insulated from floor 19. These are located in the same line as the cord 33A extends as below described. The cord 33A is constrained to follow the same path at all times past these contact points. Similar switches 133B and 133C are provided for cords 33B and 33C. According to this invention when a particular clipper as 35A is in a supported position as shown in FIGURE 2 the contacts 131A and 132A of switch 133A contact an exterior cylindrical conductive strip 93A firmly fixed on the cord 33A and extending about along cord 33A as shown in FIGURE 4. This provides that, when one off push button switches (items HP in Allied Radio Corp; Cat. 210A, 1962, p. 189).

Conventional electrical on-olf push button switch 83, normally closed, attaches to wall 15 adjacent shelf 21 and adjacent to door 62 and similar switches 83A, 83B and 83C are attached to frame 50 adjacent shelf 23 and adjacent the bottom of doors 64A, 64B and 64C respectively in their closed position as shown in FIGURE 3. The doors actuate the plungers of the push button switches. These switches 83, 83A, 83B and 830 are connected in parallel, as shown in FIGURE 4 and serve to connect brush motor 167 with a conventional source of electric power 110. Each of these doors 62, 64A, 64B and 640, thus so provided with switches 83, 83A, 83B and 83C respectiyely,-provide that when any of these doors are open the brush subassembly motor 167 is ac- I tuated. These switches 81A, 81B and 81C may be, as shown for 83 in FIGURE 3, mechanically tied to switches 83A, 83B and 83C respectively. 7

A fractional horsepower electric motor 37, the rewind reel motor shown in FIGURE 5, is operatively connected to a power source 110, in series, through foot switch 101 and each of parallel connected switches 31A, 81B and 81C; foot switch 101 is connected in series with switches 81A, 81B and'81C as shown in FIGURE 4. Thereby any one or all of those switches are elfective to actuate the motor 37 only when the foot switch 101 is also actuated. The motor 37 drives a rotatably' mounted rewind power shaft 38 (shown in FIGURE 3).

Each rewind reel 31A, 31B and 310 has a similar structure; accordingly, the description for 31A applies to the others. The reel 31A as shown in FIGURE 7 has a cylindrical surface 122A on which the clipper cord or wire is wound, and end plates 123A and 125A at either end thereof. Each rewind reel, as reel 31A, is rotatably mounted concentric to the shaft 38.

A-splined clutch plate 126A is rotatably mounted in a yoke146A on the outer end of a rigid clutch plate arm 128A, as shown in FIGURE 7. The arm 128A is horizontally elongated and pivotally mounted at its inclipper as 35A is in the position shown in FIGURE 2, the solenoid therefor, as 129A, is actuated to disengage the clutch 126A that would otherwise drive the reel as 31A for that particular clipper 35A. Accordingly, that particular reel is operatively disconnected and not driven by the rewind reel motor 37, even when a door as 62 or 64A, 64B or 640 is open and foot-actuated switch 101 is accidentally contacted by the foot 103 of the operator 105.

During the usual situation when an operator as (diagrammatically shown in FIGURE 4) is using a clipper bar as 35A all the doors 64A, 64B and 64C are closed. At such time the instruments in the container 11 are being sterilized concurrent with the operators use of the implement as 35A, then removed from the container 11. Each door, as 64A, is provided with a slot (1 64A) through which the cord (33A) passes when the implement as 35A is not within the container lland the door 64A is closed. A shield A is provided on shelf 23 for the implement 35A and similar shields 155B (in FIGURE 3) and 155C are also provided for implements 35B and 35C. Corresponding slots 164B and 164C are provided in the doors 64B and 64C. This provides a complete optical enclosure by the container 11 of the ultraviolet rays therein from the exterior thereof, notwithstanding that the tool or implement 35A (or 35B or 35C) may not be in the container 11 when used as shown in FIGURE 6.

Each instrument as 35A is not urged back by the reel 31A of container 11 until its door 64A is opened and the operator steps on foot switch 101. Thereupon only the withdrawn instrument as 35A will be drawn back as the clutches do not drive the other reels for theother electrically powered instruments which are in the. container as each conductive strip as 93B or 93C serves to activate its corresponding solenoid 129B and 129C and to maintain its clutch plate 1263 and 126C out of operable' contact with its end plate face on reels 31B and 31C respectively.

- *Circular concentric or contact rings for wire 33A are provided on plate 123A for the reel 31A. These concentric rings, 94A, 95A provide connection of the power source to the wire or cord 33A on the reel 31A. The clipper bar 35A has its own on-off switch which is controlled by the operator as 105. The cord 33A of the electric power implement 35A to be supported in the'compartment behind door 64A will be contacted as shown in FIGURE 5 by a brush which brush is actuated by the motor 167 of brush subassembly 39. This motor is actuated by the circuit shown in FIGURE 4 whenever any of the doors 62, 64A, 64B and 64C which provide access to an instrument compartment for sterilization of one of the implements is open. The trays 51A, 51B and 51C provided below the brush subassemblies 175, 176 and 177 as shown in FIGURES l and 3 serve to effectively gather the hair and debris usually accumulated on such cords during the use thereof by a barber or beauty operator on a customer, as well as to clean such cords of debris. This provides for keeping the cord as well as the clipper instrument itself clean as upper brush 168 provides for cleaning the clipper bars. The circuit (shown in FIGURE 4) also provides for disconnection of the ultraviolet lights when the door to any implement-holding compartment is opened and to actuate the brush circuit when any such door is open and to deactivate the brush circuit and to actuate the light circuit when all the doors are closed. This circuit also provides to selectively actuate the rewind reel for any electrically powered implement such as clipper 35A or 35B or 35C that is extended while not operating to wind any of the wires for the other clippers. A locator reel, as 91A, (as shown in FIGURE 7) works with each rewind reel as 31A. These locator reels each have a spiral groove as groove 92A on reel 91A. A fork 145A is slideably movable along the groove 92A. The pitch (or distance between each of the adjacent parallel portions) of the spiral groove is equal to or slightly greater than the thickness of the cord 33A; thereby the fork 145A provides for laying the cord 33A on the reel 31A in a single smooth layer and for the even removal of that cord from the reel as 31A when the operator opens the door 64A and moves the clipper 35A from the position shown in FIGURE 2 to the position shown in FIGURE 5. At this time the operator does not have his foot on the switch 101. There is therefore no opposition to this motion by the reel motor 37. The motion of the operator serves to move the fork 145A to the beginning of the rewind position for that cord.

It will be noted that this apparatus provides for the absence of handling of the cord (and hair thereon) by the operator and for a. sterilization of the cord while on the reel by the lamp, as 25, i.e., while one particular clipper as 35B is in the container 11 another clipper as 35A may be being used. Thereby, each of the implements is sterilized while the other is being used and there is no delay in requiring sterilization of the instruments between uses thereof on different customers inasmuch as the time during which one customer is being treated is used to sterilize the other instrument.

According to this invention the instrument and cord are brushed and thus mechanically cleaned as well as sterilized by intense radiation, not only between uses for different customers, but during uses on the same customer. The cord is brushed while being rolled onto a reel and is irradiated while on such reel.

Space is provided between the location of the cord on each reel, which reel; as 31A, is likewise made of material transparent to the radiation of the lamp, to provide space for lamps and such radiation to pass and sterilize both sides of the cord 33A. This radiation also services the combs and the scissors. The apparatus is arranged so that opening the doors thereof for movement of the instruments into and out of the apparatus shuts off electric power to the radiation lamps and that closing the door activates the lamps. Also, when the door is open the brushes are automatically activated to allow for brushing the instruments and depositing the debris resulting from such brushing into containers as 47 and 51A, 51B and 51C which are transparent to ultraviolet radiation whereby such debris is sterilized when the container is closed.

The radiation is sufliciently intense that decontamination is effected in a matter of seconds. The entire structure of applicant herein is so arranged to be observable by the public as operating because of the visible range of transmission of light permitted by the structure of 8 the enclosure. Nevertheless, the limited range of transmission of radiation by the structure of the apparatus avoids transmission of dangerous ultraviolet rays to the customer and to the operator which would otherwise be transmitted by such intense radiation sources unless the particular shelf and switch structure hereinabove described combination therewith was also used. A feature of this invention is that the clipper cord is readily and reliably cleaned and reeled as provisions are made to brush combs and scissors and thereby mechanically cleanse such instruments as well as kill any bacteria thereon by radiation and ozone. It is believed that the killing of a bacteria is more efficient because of this brushing and mechanical cleansing than it would he were not such mechanical cleansing used in co-operation with irradiation.

Each of the end plates, as 123 and 125A, of each of the rewind reels, as 31A, is rotatably located and held in position in a fork, as 183A and 185A respectively, as shown in FIGURE 7. Each fork is rigid and adjustably fixed at its bottom end to floor 19 as by a bolt in a slot at the bottom of such fork. The shaft 38 is rotatably supported in and located in bearings as 186, 187, 188 and 189, shown in FIGURE 3, which bearings are firmly supported on floor 19. Shaft 38 is driven by a conventional belt 190 shown in FIGURE 5 and motor 37. The belt 190 drives a conventional pulley 192 shown in FIG- URE 7 which is firmly fixed on shaft 38.

The locator reels as 91A, 91B and 91C provided for each of the rewind reels as 31A, 31B and 31C respectively are rotatably yet firmly positioned in container 11 on the floor 19. Each locator reel as 91A has the same diameter as its rewind reel as 31A and is geared thereto (as by gear 231) to rotate at the same angular and linear speed as the surface 122A.

Each locator reel has a fork as A on locator reel 91A that slideably moves along the length of the reel in a spiral groove as 92A which extends the length of that reel. Each cord, as 33A, passes through a slot, as 295A, in member 50 when the tool as 35A is inside of container 11 as in FIGURE 2 or through a slot as 296A in door 66 when tool 35A is outside container 11 and it is closed as in FIGURE 6: these slots are directly behind slot 164A in door 64A when closed. Shield A blocks out these slots from radiation of the lamps and thus proyides a light-tight enclosure, although the cord 33A passes through such slots and container 11 may have light-tight vents as 298, 299, and 300. The cord passes such slots onto a roller 297A and contacts a brush as located over a tray, as 51A, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 5, and past contact points 131A and 132A of a switch as 133A as shown in FIGURE 7. (These contact points are each resiliently urged towards and into contact with cord 33A to effect contact therewith or with the conductive strip 93A.) The cord then passes through vertically extending loosely fitting guide rollers 196A and 197A therefor to fork 145A on locator reel 91A, and then to cylindrical surface 122A of reel 31A. Cord 33A comprises two conventional electrically conductive wires and insulation thereabout. Each of these wires is firmly attached to a contact or slip ring, as 94A or 95A on reel 31A, such ring being located on the plate as 123A of such reel as 31A. A pair of conventional brushes as 194A and 195A are operatively connected to a conventional electrical cord and plug, 109, firmly connectable, as shown in FIG- URE 4, to the rear wall 17 of container 11. This plug is conventionally connected to conventional 110 volt A.C. power source 110. Brushes 194A and 195A contact rings 94A and 95A respectively to bring electric power to the tool 35A. Similar structures as above described for cord 33A and reel 31A are also provided for each of the cords 33B and 33C and the reels 31B and 31C for the tools 35B and 35C.

While the structure 11 above described is particularly useful for barber and beauty shops it may also be used in doctors and dentists office, in restaurants, and in homes.

TABLE I.-TRANSMITTANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF GLASSES Fromv a e 65 of Glass Engineering Handbook, by E. B. Shand, I 251 Ed., McGraw Hill Book 00., New York, 1958} Corning Glass No.

Trans. wave length in millicr m ercen 756311313 90 9o 90 90 so so s5 90 90 O 90 90 0 90 90 0 90 90 0 85 20 0 60 0 200 0 g 3 Thickness (mm.) 3 Corning filter spec 2-60 9-54 0-53 TABLE II.WRATTEN LIGHT FILTERS Filter No. Name Page No. Stability 1 Kodak Color Filter 30,22, 72 Quite stable.

Aero 2 Do. K 82, 22, 73 D0. 32, 22, 73 Do. as, 23, 75 Stable. 38, 23, 75 D0. 38,23 75 D 0. 24,50179 Quite stable.

Mercury Vapor Lamp 25, 50, 83

Monochromat. 77A do 25, 50, 83

1 Pa es cited are in Wratten Light Filters, Seventeenth Edition, Revise d, Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester 4, N ew York, 1945. Definition of stability is as given at page 22 thereof. Stable means filter will endure exposure for six months; Quite stable means that the filter will show no change in daylight or sunlight 'for twelve months. Tl'llS disclosure prefers those glasses that are quite stable but does not preclude the use of material that may require to be replaced perlodleally e.g. every six months.

TABLE III.OVERALL DIMENSIONS light as General Electric G 4 S 11 type bulb, 4 W. with standard ballast therefore (B in FIGURE 4).

The material which may be used for the walls and doors of apparatus 11 is not only the preferred particular Corning glass 2408 but also certain Wratten light filters conventionally used in photography as filters, which glasses serve to cut out transmission of the ultraviolet light portion of the spectrum; these are listed in Table H above.

We claim:

1. A sterilizing container for implements comprising walls and a movable door means enclosing a space to accommodate implements, said door means being opaque to ultraviolet light and transparent to visible light and said container forming a complete optical enclosure when said door means is closed;

ultraviolet light generating means in said container and directed at said space; normally open switch means sensitive to the opening and closing of said door means and, attached to said container, an electric power source means connected to said switch means and an electrical connection from said switch means to said ultraviolet light generating means, said door means in its closed position contacting said switch means and closing said switch means, said ultraviolet light generating means being rendered inoperative by the switch means when said door means is open and being rendered operative by the switch means when the door means is closed, and

an electric power cord, reel means for said cord firmly attached to and located within said container, an electrically powered implement with one end of said electric power cord attached thereto, another end of said electric power cord attached to said reel means for said cord, space in said container to accommodate said implement, access to said space provided by said movable door means,

means attached to said container sensitive to the opening and closing of the door means; means attached to said container for driving said reel means, means connecting said reel means to said driving means operatively connected to said switch means sensitive to the opening and closing of the door means and another switch means located outside of said container, and

movable powered brush means located in said container adjacent to and in contact with the cord of said implement, driving means for said brush means, said driving means attached to and located within said container, said movable brush means being powered and moved by said driving means therefor and connected to said means sensitive to the opening and closing of said door means and being actuated by said driving means therefor when said door is opened and said another switch means is closed.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 comprises also receptacle means below each of said powered brush means, said receptacle means being removable from said container, said receptacle means being located in said container at a position exposed to the ultraviolet light coming from said ultraviolet light generating means.

3. A sterilizing container for a plurality of barbers implements comprising: a plurality of walls and a plurality of movable door means forming, when said door means are closed, a complete optical enclosure and enclosing a space to accommodate said implements, said door means and walls all being opaque to ultraviolet light and transparent to visible light; a plurality of imperforate and smooth shelves in said container, each transparent to ultraviolet light, space in said container above and below each of said shelves; ultraviolet light generating means in said container below each of said shelves and directed at the spaces above said shelves; normally open switch means sensitive to the opening and closing of said door means and attached to said container, an electric power source means connected to said switch means and an electrical connection from said switch means to said ultraviolet light generating means, said door means, in its closed position, contacting said switch means and closing said switch means; said ultraviolet light generating means being rendered inoperative by the switch means when said door means is open and being rendered operative by the switch means when the door means is closed, and a plurality of electrical powered implements, each With one end of an electric cord attached thereto, a reel means in said container for each said cord, an end of each said cord attached thereto, separate space in said container to accommodate each of said implements, access to each said space provided by one of said movable door means, means attached to and within said container for driving each said reels means, means cfirmly attached to said container and sensitive to the opening and closing of the door means for each said implement, clutch means in said container connecting each said reel means to said driving means and operatively connected to said switch means sensitive to the opening and closing of the door means for each said implement, and another switch means located outside of said container whereby said means for driving each of said reels and winding said cord thereon are operable only when said implement is removed from said container; movable powered brush means located in said container adjacent to and in contact with the cord of each said implement, driving means for said brush means, said driving means attached to and located within said container, said movable brush means being connected to said driving means through said means sensitive to the opening and closing of a door means and activated by said driving means only when said door means is open and said another switch means is closed.

MORRIS O.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS WOLK,

Thomas.

Bagley 21-88 Rosenthal 21-402= Pitchford 21-83 Loeflier 21--82 lessen 312-223 Osgood 21102 Brown .30-34 Miller "21-83 Primary Examiner.

15 I. T. ZATARGA, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

